Ministry of Truth: High Schooler Fights for Rights

Zhan Haite has been refused entry to a Shanghai high school because her hukou is from rural Jiangxi Province. She is petitioning for her right to an education.

The following examples of censorship instructions, issued to the media and/or Internet companies by various central (and sometimes local) government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online. Chinese journalists and bloggers often refer to those instructions as “Directives from the Ministry of Truth.” CDT has collected the selections we translate here from a variety of sources and has checked them against official Chinese media reports to confirm their implementation.

Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The original publication date is noted after the directives; the date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source.

Central Propaganda Department: No media will report or comment on Zhan Quanxi and Zhan Haite in Shanghai engaging in so-called “rights defense” in the name of equal participation in the high school entrance exam and getting involved in conflicts with personnel. (December 11, 2012)

中宣部：对上海占全喜、占海特以平等参与中考为名进行所谓维权，与工作人员发生冲突，各媒体不报不评。

Central Propaganda Department: With the exception of Xinhua wire copy, media in all locales are not to republish, report, or comment on online rumors of a wave of complaints emerging from the Chongqing beat black campaign, questions about millions in assets from mafia deals, and other issues. (December 11, 2012)

中宣部：对网传重庆打黑出现申诉潮，千亿涉黑资产处置成疑等问题，除新华社通稿外，各地媒体不转载不报道不评论。

Central Propaganda Department: All levels of media must follow to the letter previous requests in reporting on issues involving central Party leaders. You may not use any other source but Xinhua wire copy. (December 11, 2012)